I don’t know if it’s the big, delicious meal my wife just fed me or my advancing age, but I have no idea the point that you’re trying to make. I’m not wanting to be difficult. Are you saying that FR is a waste of time and instead we should be wearing out shoe leather for our favorite politician or issue? Writing “letters to the editor” with our manual typewriters or quill pens? Assembling with pitchforks and torches at the state capitol? What?
Well, I think we can get overinvolved with things that have very short time constants compared with the way “most” political things unfold.
Not that FR is inherently a waste... but if I may be so bold as to suggest it, HOW we use FR might be a waste.
FR would be a wonderful way to leverage, as you put it, shoe leather and pitchforks.
As for the quill and manual typewriter, we have virtual ways of simulating those if we should desire. Fonts complete with letters filled with ribbon detritus.
Still it’s not entirely farcical. A letter written by hand with ballpoint pen will probably count more to a congressman.